Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Circus Parade


Two of Emmy's favorite things, the circus and a parade, are wrapped into one in this book written by Harriet Ziefert with lively illustrations by Tanya Roitman. Circus Parade gives the reader a curbside seat as the performers from the circus march down main street. The text is written in short vignettes with a fun rhythm. Emmy's favorite verse "A-rum-a-tee-tum! A-rum-a-tee-tum!" allows us to really feel the beat as the drums go by. We both love to study the pictures which are so vibrant and seem to jump off of the page.


A great follow up is Donald Crews' book Parade. The simple text and creative illustrations convey the anticipation and enjoyment generated by a parade. It's great to be able to relive an experience that Emmy and I have shared together. As soon as the marching band appears, Emmy will say "Scoot back!" as she recalls how loud the music sounds.